Surgical instrument



July 17, 1923.

E. B. HOPPER SURGICAL INSTRUMENT Filed May 14. 1921 Patented .luily l7,I923.

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insane r wa EARLE B. HOPPER, or arnenwoon, new JERSEY.

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Application filed May 14, 192i. Serial No. 469,661.

tracts of certain female animals, as equines or bovines, and in. theexamination thereof for disease or pregnancy it is necessary tointroduce an instrument into the vaglna and grasp the pro ecting part ofthis tract called the os uteri, or mouth of the uterus, and

draw it back so that any inflammation, seal, etc.. can be examined andsubjected to the appropriate operation or treatment and so thatincidental rectal manipulation of-the tract may be effected. Iheinstrument, or

cervical forceps, heretofore usedfor this purpose has long and broadcoacting gripping jaws which, to improve the security against theirsllpping and so possibly 1njuring the tissues, are serrated on their 00-acting surfaces and have puncturing prongs each of which projects fromone of said surfaces and enters a hole in the other. v With thisinstrument it is impossible to grasp the os without injury to theglandular region thereof because of the relatively great area of saidsurface of each jaw and the gripping or clamping action of the j aws,the results of whichmaceration of the tissues and contused wounds thatare ditlicult to treat-are frequently much aggravated by the serrationsand the prongs of the instrument. Besides, because its jaws are bulkythey not only interfere with the surgeons view but reduce the spaceotherwise available and so interfere with needed freedom in performingthe operation, treatment or examination. The object of this invention isto provide an instrument that can be used, without injury to thebreeding tract, to effectively catch and draw toward the lips of thevulva and there hold the part to be examined or treated andthat willinterfere to i the very least extent with the surg-eons view or withmanipulations to be effected by hand or with other instruments.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a plan of the instrument, partly open;

Figure 2 is a .plan of the catching or holding end portion of theinstrument, closed;

Figures 3 and' lare sectional views on lines 3-3 and 44c in Figures 1and 2, respectively; and

Figure 5 shows, in connection with an anatomicaldiagram including thepart to I be treated, two of the instruments in operative position fordrawing said part to ward the mouth of the cavity containing it. Theinstrument is of the forceps type and includes two forceps members a awhich are pivoted together at b and have theusual thumb and finger loops0, affording handles,

and click or ratchet means d d to lock them in the closed position.

The free ends of the members ext-end appreciably from the pivot Z) andare slender and: have agradual taper to their tips 6, which aresharpened or pointed.

Viewing the members in side elevation,

that is, as seenin Fig. 5, their tip end portions are preferably bentoff in the same direction. This is not indispensable, but on a view toFig. 5 it will be seen that it will in crease the space between themajor portions of two such implements (two being usually used'together)at the very outset of engaging them with or causing them to catch in thecervixA in the way to be explained; and th1s spacing occasionally 1Svery advantageous, as llllIlStilnCGS where the cervix can not be drawnclear to the mouth of the vagina B. Y

Viewing the members a (bin plan (Fig. 1) or section (Fig. 3 or Fig. l)theirtip end portions are bent toward each other, and so that, intheclosed position of the members, they will more or less overlap,preferably with a wiping contact. I As indicated. usually the surgeonwill use two of the implements, as in the case of the ordinary implementreferred to, one being made to catch at one side and the other at theopposite side of the cervix. To engage each implement with the part A.it is inserted into the vagina B with its members open and in positionto bring its tips 6 (then relatively positioned as in Figs. 1 andlaterally against the part with acertain i each other (as in Figs. 2 and4). Both implements having thus been made to catch the part A, they areemployed to draw it as far as possible toward the mouth of the Q sas-o2cavity B and hold it there while the treatment or operation isperformed.

The value of the improred implement lies in the fact that since itexposes points rather than more or less extensive surfaces to the partto be treated in order to hold the same etlectutally it can be made tocatch the part well away from the region, as the exterior portion of theglandular region of a cervix, to which injury might be done, and thatits hold is one incident to puncturing rather than to friction orsurface contact and such necessary clamping pressure as in certain caseswould be harmful. Also in the fact that since the members are slender intheir catching end portions, and are without the more or less extensiveand bulky jaws which characterize the ordinary implement, the implementobtrudes practically not at all in the way of the surgeons vision or hisaccess to the part. On account of the tips overlapping when in catching(puncturing) relation to the part A and then lying in contact with eachother or close together they may be formed as slender as necessary,

so as to reduce the size of the punctures they form as much as possible,and yet have ample strength because they will coact in assuming thestrain.

Between-the points where the tips 0 are bent off in the same direction(Fig. and where they are then bent inward toward each other there is aslight bend in 5) in each in a direction away from the handle of theimplement. When the surgeon positions the instrument with its tipsagainst one side of the cervix as already explained,

their points being then quite close together. 1

he then by pressing against the opposite side of the cervix forces as itwere a fold thereof between lhe points preparatory to closing: the iitrument and nincturing' such told. He should have means to gage theextent to which "this told is forced in between the points, for it it isforced too far in between them the points will puncture the canal of thecervix (marl-red f/ in Fig. The tips theuiselves specifically, the partsthereof which are bent toward each other, serve a sort oi? gage for thispurpose; but on account of the yielding; nature of wall of the cervix.l. find the sing etl'ect is very much improyed it the bends f, whichare in efi ect gaging shoulders, are present.

Havin thus fully described my invention,

what I Clttllll' as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A pair of surgical forceps comprising coacting members pivoted togetherand having coacting slender terminal portions adapted to grasp betweenthem the part to be held and. each of which is bent toward the other andthence tapered to substantially a point, each bent-ell" tapered portionbeing: adapted to puncture and thereby catch the part to be held andbeing arranged to overlap and to wipe against the other bent-oil taperedportion in the grasping position of the forceps.

In. testimony whereof Iatlix my signature.

EARLE l3. HGPPER.

